How CIA Black Ops Really Work | Insider Insights

John Kiriakou, ex-CIA officer, reveals the secrets behind covert operations and black ops activities. 🔍

How CIA Black Ops Really Work | Insider Insights
Insider
7.9M views • Jan 22, 2026
How CIA Black Ops Really Work | Insider Insights

About this video

John Kiriakou is a former CIA officer specializing in counterterrorism. He was named the chief of CIA counterterrorism operations in Pakistan in 2002.

Kiriakou talks to Business Insider about how the CIA recruits foreign agents to spy for the United States, their bunker raid tactics, and how they track and hunt terrorists. He goes into detail about how he captured notorious Al Qaeda members and how he survived an assassination attempt. Kiriakou also reveals the specific CIA training he went through to become an officer, such as training in weapons handling and defensive driving.

Additionally, Kiriakou was an early whistleblower on the CIA's torture program.

After retiring, Kiriakou has become a consultant and media commentator. He has written several books about his experiences in the CIA, as well as hosting weekly podcasts.

For more:

https://johnkiriakou.com/
https://www.youtube.com/@DeepFocuswithJohnKiriakou

00:00 - Intro
00:31 - The Risks
06:15 - The Recruitment
12:12 - Secret Meetings
14:36 - Double Agents
20:06 - Evading Capture
24:02 - The Missions
30:38 - The Raids
32:23 - Interrogations
34:10 - The Torture
42:12 - The Fallout
44:13 - The Training
51:10 - The Future

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How CIA Black Ops Actually Work | Authorized Account | Insider

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Video Information

Views

7.9M

Likes

121.7K

Duration

57:42

Published

Jan 22, 2026

User Reviews

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